What does fracture mean?
A fracture is a break or crack in a rigid material, most familiarly in a bone, though the term applies equally to cracked concrete, shattered rock, or damaged metal. In medicine, fractures are classified by their severity and pattern — from hairline cracks to compound breaks where bone pierces the skin. Beyond the physical, fracture carries an important figurative meaning: relationships, institutions, and societies are said to fracture when internal divisions tear them apart. The verb form works both ways, describing either the breaking of a bone or the splitting of something once whole. Derived from Latin roots meaning simply 'to break', the word conveys seriousness without melodrama, making it a precise choice over vaguer alternatives like 'break' or 'smash'. It is indispensable in medical writing, engineering, geology, and political commentary alike, and its figurative reach gives it unusual versatility for such a concrete concept.
A break or crack in a bone, or in any other hard substance.
"The skier was airlifted to hospital with a fracture to her femur."
Medical terminology distinguishes many types, including simple, compound, comminuted, hairline, and stress fractures.
A rupture or sharp division in something abstract, such as a relationship, alliance, or society.
"The treaty exposed a deep fracture within the coalition."
Figurative use often carries connotations of lasting damage rather than temporary discord.
To break or crack a bone, or to cause a hard object to split; also, to disrupt the integrity or unity of something abstract.
"Years of resentment had finally fractured the family."
Both physical and figurative uses are well established in modern English.
The plural is standard in medical contexts, where multiple fractures are common in trauma cases, and in discussions of materials testing.
"The accident victim sustained multiple fractures to both legs."
Every fracture in your body was probably first described using a word the ancient Romans used for cracked amphorae and broken promises alike — 'frangere', to break.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fracture
Fracture comes from the Latin verb 'frangere', meaning 'to break', via its past participle stem 'fractura'. English borrowed the word directly from Latin (likely through French) in the early 15th century, initially as a term for the breaking of bones. It shares this root with a family of English words including 'fragile', 'fragment', 'fraction', and 'refraction', all tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European idea of breaking apart.
Related word forms
How fracture is actually used
In medical contexts, fractures are classified by type (simple, compound, comminuted, stress, hairline), and 'fractured' can carry figurative use ('a fractured childhood') suggesting psychological disruption. The word is neutral in tone but serious in implication; it appears frequently in both clinical and journalistic registers.
Easily confused with fracture
'Break' is the general everyday word for something coming apart, while 'fracture' typically implies a crack or partial break, especially of a bone, without complete separation.
A sprain injures ligaments around a joint, whereas a fracture is an actual break in the bone itself.